Seat track construction



Matth 14, 1950 c, F, KRAMER 2,500,316

SEAT TRACK CONSTRUCTION Filed 001". -15, 1945 Z 47 F1 E. l 48 Y i! V f2 45 429/9! 6 w; A A f Eg 6 4 III/ll Patented Mar. 14, 1950 UNITED 'STATES PATENT GFF I CE SEAT TRACK CONSTRUCTION Clarence F. Kramer, Birmingham, .Mich. Applicatinf0ct0berr15, 1945'," Serial 'No.f622y145y lClaims. 1 The invention relates :to motor VehiCIesand it 'has particular :relation tov a slidingseat suppor-t for the-vehicle.

Sliding seats and'track constructions for movlably supporting .avehicle seat in .a vehicle .body

are generally in use-.at the present time, and these constructions allow the seat to-be moved forwardly Vand.rearwardlyat will. A readily releasable latching vmeans holds-the `seat in .any .position of adjustment and it is the usual practice to co-ordinate the travel of` opposite side edges of the seat. Constructions of, this general order include a pair of upper tracks or members iastened to the bottom ofl the vehicle Aseat `and .a

'lower pair of track members fastened .to the oor oi the vehicle.

One object of'thepresent invention .is to provide an improved ,seat 'support or track vconstruction for' movably supporting a seat in a vehicle which may be manufactured inexpensively and readily assembled with .the vehicle Iand seat.

Another object of-v the `invention .is to provide improvements. in seat supportsV which facilitate manufacture ofthe construction from sheet metal while at the same timeinsuring a suiiiciently close fit between relatively movable ,parts as to prevent noise or loo'seness'.

Other objects of the invention' will'becomeap'- parent from thefollowing' specification; from the drawings relating thereto, and from" the claims hereinafter set forth.

For a better understanding ofthe invention reference may behad to fthe'drawings wherein.:

Figure 1 is a Aside elevational'view ofy a vehicle seat andvsupport therefor as constructed accord'- ing to one form ofthe invention;

Fig. 2 'is a cross-sectional view on' aflarger scale taken substantiallyfalongfthe line" 2---2v of Fig. 1";

Fig. 3 is across-sectional view on a larger scale taken substantially along the line S-S'of-Fig. 1'; and,

Fig. 4' is a fragmentary plan viewon a larger scale of the front end oone of the'trackstructures asseen'substantially in the direction :of the' arrow indicated at 4.

'ReferringitolFiggZ in particular; th'eseat support. comprises'.` a; pair of.' laterally" spaced vtra cli constructions indicated atl 'Il' an'd 'I "I ,respectively andsince -the'se are'fidentical, :onlyen'eLwillbefde# scribedin .detaill .Referring 'to' the construction f' I I, `it comprisesl-an elongated strip 'or-track vmehr ber 'l 2 constructed. ofLsheetrmetaland. having' 'fa horizontal leg'for nange.:'Iifatits.lower'edge which is adaptedstabe ffastenedrtofthe floor '.cfiithe.;ve

.fhlclefndicatedrat |424, Intermediatefiteiupperliand flower edges, thestripfisangled or bent laterally to provide' a track. I5 and above this 'track' the str-ip extends: verticallyfas indicated at i6. The

vertical portion terminates at itsupper edgeinfa .shaped member 29 having a base 2.! yand legsZZ and .23 extending downwardly. These legs straddle the upper channel portion of .strip I2., and it might-be notedthat the leg 23 projects downwardly and guidingly. contacts the strip lI2 below the track` I5. Alsoit may be observedvthat 'the base or verticallportion.lofthe upper chan- .nel in ystrip l2'. substantially contacts the inner surface ot leg 22 of the U-shaped member 20 as vindicated at .255,and this contact and the contact between the leg 23 and theA lower part of strip I2', holds the trackstructure against lateral vplay while still permitting.relativesliding movement as required.

A trunnion 2'! is Vfastened to the leg 22 such as by riveting.. as indicated at 30`and the opposite end ofthe trunnion has a heads! engagingthe outer side of leg 23. This trunnion projects -through an elongated slot 34 in the leg I6 of the upper channel in strip I2 and a sleeve roller 35 is provided on the trunnion. A second roller 31 is mounted on the sleeve roller 36 and the arrangement is such that the second roller will ride ontrack' I5 with the endof the sleeve roller 36 substantially in Contact with the upper edge of slot 34. This arrangement causes the track I5 -tocarry the'load on the U-shaped member 20 a'lrdlat thesame'tirne substantially close relation betweenthe'sleeve roller and upper edge of the 's'l'ot prevents looseness or upper relative movementofthe' parts.` It'should be noted thatthere is'a':clearance-between the sleeve roller andthe 'lweredge' of slot'll-so as to 'insure engagement vbetween-theA roller 3l andthe track. Each 'of the trackco'nstructions at the sides of'the vehicle -seat has' two ofthe' roller'supports so' that each foff the' twoU-shapedmembers 2li is supported by a front roller and a rearroller."

The'fvehicle seatdndica'ted at t0 in Fig. 1, is .fastened tofthe base portion ofthe two U-shaped xstrips2-lilas by fr'ne'an's o'i'bolts '4'I and consequently As a means of co-ordinating the travel on both of the track structures il) and Il, the base portions of the U-shaped members 2l) are provided with slots 45 and 46 which allow pinions il and 48 on a shaft i9 to project downwardly into the slots. The shaft 49 is journalled in bearing brackets D and 5l welded to the outermost legs 23 of the U-shaped members and suitable pins or the like 52 may be used to hold the shaft in its axial position. Each of the pinions lll and lli engages teeth 5t formed in the upwardly projecting leg of flange iS and the arrangement is such that if either U-shaped member begins to move, the other U-shaped member must move also due to the co-ordinating teeth and pinion arrangement.

For the purpose of holding the seat in any position oi adjustment, the leg Il and flange I8 also are provided with a series of slots indicated at 5l in Figs. 3 and ll, and these slots are located toward the front end of the vehicle seat. A latching lever (il) is provided at one side of the seat and this lever is pivoted on a suitable trunnion 6I fastened to the outermost leg 23 of the U-shape member 2i). The rear end of this member has a laterally extending linger 62 which extends through a vertical slot G3 in the leg 23 so that it may engage o-ne of the slots 5l, and the slot G3 is of such height that the iinger 52 may be moved downwardly out of engagement with the slot 5l so as to permit adjustment ofthe seat. able spring 64 cio-operates with the lever Sil and leg 23 so as normally to urge the nger $2 upwardly into engagement with one of the slots 5l and the upper end of the slot 63 is so located that the finger will be maintained in engagement with the slot 5l.

In the use of the construction the lever Sil is raised from its position shown in Fig. l and then if the seat is to be moved rearwardly pressure is applied against the back of the seat o-r lengthwise of the vehicle to move the seat. During such movement the rollers 3l will support the seat but the front sleeve rollers 3S will contact the upper edges oi slots 34 and take any upward loads that may be present particularly in the event the seat is being adjusted rearwardly by the occupant applying pressure across the top of the seat back. In this case, the forces cause an upward load on the two front sleeve rollers, and during lnovel ment of the seat, the front sleeve rollers provide for rolling engagement while the two rear rollers 3l support the rear end of the seat.

Although only one form of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made Without departing from the scope of the claim.

What is claimed is:

l. A vehicle seat track construction comprising an elongated sheet metal strip disposed vertically and shaped in its upper portion to form a channel having its legs horizontal and its base vertical and laterally oilset from the lower vertical portion ci the strip, an inverted U-shape member having its legs vertically disposed in straddling relation to the channel, a horizontal trunnion eX- tending between the legs of the U-shape member and secured thereto, the base of said channel portion having a slot extending lengthwise or the channel and through which the trunnion extends, a roller on the trunnion and disposed within the channel, said slot being wider than the trunnion and the roller being of such size that it rests on the lower leg of the channel, the upper A suitleg of the channel having teeth for engaging a pinion, and a pinion turnably carried by the U-shape member and meshing with said teeth.

2. A vehicle seat track support comprising a sheet metal strip disposed vertically and angled intermediate its upper and lower edges to provide a horizontal leg or track portion, an inverted U-shape member having its legs straddling the upper portion of the strip, trunnion means extending horizontally between the legs of the U- shape member, the strip above said track portion having an elongated slot extending along the strip and which receives the trunnion, a roller on the trunnion means and resting on the track, the

' upper edge portion of the strip having teeth and the base of the U-shape member having a slot along said teeth, and pinion means turnably supported on the U-shape member and extending through said slot in the base of the U-shape member and engaging said teeth.

3. A vehicle seat track construction comprising a pair of laterally spaced sheet metal strips extending vertically with each strip bent intermediate its upper and lower edges to form a horizontal track and an upwardly extending part above the track, an inverted U-shape member straddling the upper portion of each strip, trunnion means extending between the legs of each U-shape member, the upwardly extending part of each strip having an elongated slot receiving said trunnion means, a ro-ller on each trunnion means and resting on said track, a co-ordinating shaft extending between the U-shape members and journalled thereon, a pinion xed on each end of the shaft, the base portion of each U-shape member having a slot to allow the pinion to project thereinto, and teeth on the upper edge portion of each strip and engaging said pinions respectively.

4.` A vehicle scat support comprising vertically extending strip members disposed in vertically overlapping relation and adapted respectively to be secured to a lower support and to the seat, a trunnion secured to one strip and projecting horizontally through an elongated slot in the other, a sleeve roller on the trunnion and projecting into and substantially contacting the upper edge of the slot, roller means on the sleeve at the side of the slot, and means forming a track on the slotted member which contacts the lower side of the roller means at the side of the slot.

5. A vehicle seat support comprising a sheet metal strip which is bent intermediate its upper and lower edges to form a track and a vertically extending portion above the track, an inverted U-shape strip straddling the upper portion or the rst strip, a transverse trunnion secured to the legs of the U-shape strip, said upper portion of the iirst strip having an elongated slot through which the trunnion extends, a sleeve roller on the trunnion and extending into the slot and Substantially contacting the upper edge of the slot, and a roller on the sleeve at the side of the slot and resting on the track.

6. A vehicle seat track construction comprising a pair of laterally spaced sheet metal strips ex` tending vertically with each strip bent laterally intermediate its upper and lower edges to form a horizontal track and an upwardly extending portion above the track with the portions above and below the track disposed in laterally o-iiset relation, an inverted U-shape member straddling each strip and having one leg substantially in contact with and guided by the. strip portion and substantially in contact therewith so as to bel guided thereby, a trunnion extending between the legs of each U-shape member and above the track, the upper portion of each strip having an elongated slot through which the trunnion extend-s, a roller on each trunnion and resting on the track below it, a zo-ordinating shaft extending laterally of the U-shape members with its ends projecting laterally over the bases of the members respectively, each of said bases having a slot located below the shaft, a pinion xed on each end of the shaft and partially projecting through the slot in the base below it, means rotatably supporting the ends of the shaft on the two U-shape members, and teeth on the upper edge of each strip and meshing with the adjacent fpinion,

CLARENCE F. KRAMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Dfate 2,100,546 Kramer Nov. 30, 1937 2,102,226 Saunders et al Dec. 14, 1937 2,126,142 Saunders et al. Aug. 9, 1938 15 2,240,143 Lus-tig Apr. 29, 1941 

